NIMH Pages about Women's Mental Health

Overview of Women's Mental Health…

Publications about Women's Mental Health

Fact Sheet on Stress

This fact sheet provides answers to common questions about stress and explains the different types of stress and how to manage it.

Eating Disorders

A detailed booklet that describes the symptoms, causes, and treatments of eating disorders. En Español

Depression in Women

An easy-to-read booklet on depression in women that explains what it is, when it starts, how long it lasts, and how to get help

Women and Depression: Discovering Hope

A booklet that describes the symptoms, treatment and factors contributing to depression that are unique to women. En Español

Science News about Women's Mental Health

Bundling HIV Prevention with Prenatal Care Reduces Risky Sex Behaviors Among At-risk Mothers

Science Update • February 22, 2010

An HIV-prevention program targeted at women receiving prenatal care may effectively reduce risks for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unplanned future pregnancies, according to NIMH-funded researchers. Bundling such interventions into existing health care models, like prenatal care, also may be more accessible to those who may not have the time, interest, or resources to attend a stand-alone HIV prevention program. Changing the way prenatal care is provided also may create sustainable advantages in reproductive health for all at-risk women. The study was published in the November 2009 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

NIH Encourages Depressed Moms to Seek Treatment for Themselves

Science Update • November 13, 2009

Numerous studies have suggested that depression runs in families. Children of depressed parents are 2–3 times as likely to develop depression as compared to children who do not have a family history of the disorder. Other studies have shown that remission of depression in mothers is associated with improvements in psychiatric symptoms in their children. Despite all signs encouraging mothers to prioritize their own mental health, many suffer from untreated depression while managing treatment for their children’s emotional or behavioral problems.

Premature Birth Risk Higher for Pregnant Women Taking SSRIs or Suffering from Untreated Depression

Science Update • March 19, 2009

Untreated major depression, as well as the use of antidepressant medications, may increase the risk for premature (preterm) birth, but the risk of other problems in fetuses such as breathing, gastrointestinal, or motor problems, may not be increased, according to a study of pregnant women published online ahead of print March 15, 2009, in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Brain Awareness Week Teaches Kids How Their Brains Work

Press Release • March 17, 2009

The 10th annual Brain Awareness Week (BAW), a science and health education fair held in various locations across the United States, teaches fifth through eighth grade students about the brain. In Washington, D.C., it will take place March 16-20, 2009, at the National Museum of Health and Medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Several institutes from the National Institutes of Health will provide interactive exhibits and lectures focusing on brain health and neuroscience on March 18th and 19th.

Impaired Brain Activity Underlies Impulsive Behaviors in Women with Bulimia

Science Update • January 12, 2009

Women with bulimia nervosa (BN), when compared with healthy women, showed different patterns of brain activity while doing a task that required self-regulation. This abnormality may underlie binge eating and other impulsive behaviors that occur with the eating disorder, according to an article published in the January 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

More Science News about Women's Mental Health

Posts about Women's Mental Health

Spotlight on Postpartum Depression

By Thomas Insel on October 28, 2010

Dr. Insel summarizes NIMH’s research efforts to better understand and treat postpartum depression.

Meeting Summaries about Women's Mental Health

Sex Differences in Brain, Behavior, Mental Health and Mental Disorders

February 28, 2011 – March 01, 2011
Bethesda, Maryland
From February 28, 2011 through March 1, 2011, NIMH convened a workshop to discuss recent findings and gaps within the study of sex differences in the brain.

Fresh Perspectives in Perinatal Depression Research: Psychosocial Interventions and Mental Health Services

October 05, 2010 – October 06, 2010
Rockville, Maryland
On October 5-6, 2010, the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) convened a workshop to provide the growing number of early-stage perinatal depression psychosocial intervention and services investigators with the opportunity to discuss research strategies consistent with public health needs and NIMH priorities.

Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care

May 07, 2009 – May 08, 2009
Bethesda, Maryland
A two-day meeting convened in May 2009 educated participants on essential components of care for women with perinatal mood disorders

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Women Returning from Combat

December 08, 2008
Washington, DC
The meeting brought together experts in the field to review sex and gender differences in PTSD, identified gaps in research, and generated ideas for new research approaches and initiatives.

Roundtable on Mood Disorders and Hormonal Transitions

July 28, 2007
Washington, D.C.
NIMH co-sponsored the roundtable with the Society for Women’s Health Research. The meeting brought together experts in the areas of postpartum and perimenopause related depression, in order to share information regarding research in mood disorders associated with reproductive hormone change.